Heroism – Beowulf

The concept of heroism is one of which that can be somewhat troublesome to explain through literature due to the popularity of the pop fiction heroes that illuminate the spotlight nowadays. Heroes same(p) Beowulf are often looked as mediocre when compared to the crime fleck characters known as Batman and Superman. Roger B. Rollin attempts to distinguish the difference and importance of literary heroes in his article, Beowulf to Batman The Epic Hero and Pop Culture. Beowulf, the epic hero of the Anglo-Saxons, is depicted to be a true hero in the article.Rollins explains the atomic number 23 types of heroes, why people and cultures vex heroes, and how movie heroes affect the view of heroism. Rollins states from the very beginning that there are five types of heroes in the literature. Beowulf is described to be the type deuce hero, If superior in degree to other men and to his environment, the hero is the typical hero of romance, whose actions are wonderful but who is himself id entifies as a human being. The hero of romance moves in a world in which the ordinary laws of nature are slightly suspend (Rollins, 435).This description is translated to mean that Beowulf is the strongest of his men who surpasses the realities of the physical world while still being human himself. As Beowulf embarked into the depths of the dark lake to face Grendels mother it was for hours he sank through the waves (line 572). Though the hero suspends the physical limitations of a human being, this does not mean that Beowulf has no error. In his final battle against the fire dragon, Beowulf acknowledges that he willing die, an act of pure defeat when a hero is the subject of attention.Beowulf realizes that His weapon/ Had failed him, deserted him, now when he needed it/ Most, that excellent sword (lines 734-36) and that his life was a journey/ Into darkness that all men must make, as death/ ends their few brief hours on earth (lines 739-41). Beowulf, being a type two hero accordin g to Rollins, is more human than superhuman (435). This hero is more attainable for readers themselves, knowing that the powers and virtues the hero possesses are possible to achieve, but not to the bound of the hero himself.By being the classic romantic hero, Beowulf is able to suspend the general limitations of human beings yet still identify himself as a human, fully unprotected to flaws and mistakes. People and their cultures look up to heroes, but not the heroes like those in literature. No, the role models for the worlds culture today are those that include Batman, Superman, and Spiderman. During the snip in which Beowulf was written, the people of that clock looked up to these warriors as the ideal man.However, since times have changed, todays culture looks to discover heroes who are ideal in the present society. Like the Anglo-Saxons, society today realizes that they will never live up to the heroism of their heroic role models, but enjoy the entertainment the stories br ing. Since Beowulf was passed cut back orally, embellishments were expected, as they are today Rollins explains that, we know, deep down in our hearts, that Batman will not be turned into a shish kabob by The Joker. e are aware that such victories do not always continue in reality, there is a part of us which very much wants them to occur (432). The worlds culture forces people to strive for the better of heroism, fully knowing that it will not become a reality. The fact that people today want their own chance for heroism shows that, in a sense, they are all attempting to become a unique Beowulf themselves. The popularity of movie heroes often distorts the image of heroism.Looking at Anglo-Saxon literature, it is obvious that a hero would be a man who is skilled in hunting, fishing, and almost the exact twin of the king. In pop culture, though, a hero is depicted as a strong, crime-fighting, custom-dressed man who lives a double life. For example, Superman. Kent Clark is an ordina ry man, but transforms to the seemingly perfect, Superman when disaster strikes. According to Rollins, Superman is exacting in his power, his glory, and his goodness (435). In the movies, heroes are put above the rest of civilization, making them seemingly untouchable.The movies make it that a hero is not someone like a police officer, but just the person who swoops in and saves the day. On the other hand, in ancient literature, like Beowulf, the hero is a well esteem man in the community who is elected to save the kingdom. When compared to movies, the hero from literature does not have the glitz, glam, and fame as a Hollywood-ized hero. The heroes in movies are heroes, but have more of a superficiality face rather than the heroic ideal characteristic as those from the Anglo-Saxon time period.From Beowulf to Batman, heroism is expressed for all time periods to relate. Beowulf was a hero for exemplifying the heroic ideal of his time and similarly, Batman is a hero for fighting cri me, a characteristic that is makes his heroism credible. Heroes are relevant in all literature and pop culture distinguishing the difference is what challenges the learner. WIth careful inspection, it is obvious to understand that there is no one type of hero, but a soldiers of heroes that are showcased through literature and Hollywood alike.